Cover for a footplate



July 1, 1958 J. 5. W000 2,8

COVER FOR A FOO'I'PLATE Filed Jan. 4. 1955 Inventor JOSEPH E. WOOD B Z ZM.

Attorney United States Patent COVER FOR A FOOTPLATE Joseph E. Wood, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Application January 4, 1955, Serial No. 479,752

1 Claim. (Cl. 15-265) This invention relates to improvements in a cover for a footplate, foot rest or shoe support of the type commonly used in shoe shine establishments.

The upper shoe-supporting surface of such footplates is usually smooth, and even if scored or ridged when new soon becomes worn so that no grip on the shoe is afforded, with the result that during the vigorous shoeshining operation the foot is caused to move from side to side.

To overcome this uncomfortable and annoying deficiency it is the object of the present invention to provide a non-skid or shoe-gripping cover for such a footplate that can be applied to such foot rests now in use and may be easily replaced whenever worn or damaged.

A further object of the invention is to provide a replaceable, non-skid footplate cover that may be readily drawn over the footplate and retained in position, anchored securely against transverse movement and resisting accidental forward displacement, by its own inherent structure.

A further object of the invention is to provide a footplate cover of the nature and for the purpose described that is characterized by structural simplicity, durability, efficiency and low cost of production, whereby the same is rendered commercially desirable.

To the accomplishment of these and related objects, that shall become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as shall be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appended claim.

The invention will be best understood and can be more fully described when reference is had to the drawings forming a part of this disclosure wherein like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a common type footplate fitted with a replaceable non-skid cover constructed in accordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof; and

Figures 3 and 4 are a transverse and a longitudinal section respectively, as taken along lines 3-3 and 4-4 of Figure l.

The well-known foot rest usually found in shoe shine establishments is mounted on the arms of a bifurcated post and includes a forward sole rest portion 1 that narrows toward the rear where it underlies the instep and a heel rest portion 2 back of the narrow instep end of the sole rest portion and downwardly offset therefrom by a step or shoulder 3. In general, its outline in plan approximates that of a small shoe though somewhat narrower and its stepped contour in side elevation corresponds with the bottom or sole and heel of a shoe.

Rested on such a footplate, it is with difficulty that the foot can be held against movement from side to side while the shoe is being shined. The heel or counter is not so inclined to shift but even with the forward edge of the heel pressed tightly against the offsetting step and the foot pressed down hard on the footplate, the long forwardly extending vamp or front end of the shoe is invariably shifted roughly from side to side.

My replaceable, non-skid device is designed to cover essentially just the forward sole rest portion 1 of the footplate and in its preferred form is a molded member 4 composed of a stretchable rubber or rubber-like material that may include suitable abrasive and/or wear resistant fillers. Substantially flat, the body of this cover member 4 corresponds in shape with the sole rest portion 1 and has all around its perimeter, except across the width of the rear edge at the downward offset step 3, an integral depending side wall 5 provided with an inturned flange 6 that terminates just short of the opposite ends of the wall at the rear to clear the footplate step 3. The depth of the side wall 5 is sufficient to accommodate the thickness of the edge of the sole rest portion 1 of the footplate so that the inturned flange 6 which is disposed substantially parallel to the flat body 4 snugly embraces the underside of the edge of the footplate. A transversely extending, vertically depending lip 7 may be provided across the back of the body 4, dropping below the flanged wall 5 and normally lying against the foot plate step 3. It is separated from the flange 6 that terminates short of the ends of the sidewall 5 as hereinbefore mentioned and may also be free of the side Walls to facilitate the application of the cover to the footplate.

The substantially flat upper surface of the body of the cover 5 is corrugated with parallel, longitudinally extendnig non-skid 60 ridges 8 running the full length thereof. This has been found the best shoe-holding surface but it is to be understood that various designs of treads, projecting metal tines or other sole gripping means may be used where desired.

In applying this cover to a footplate, the body is placed on the sole rest portion of the plate, forward of its final position, stretched slightly to allow the flanges to be slipped under the edges of the plate, moved rearwardly to bring the wall and flange at the nose securely into engagement with the toe end of the footplate, in which position the opposite ends of the internal flange contact the forward side of the footplate step, and then the vertical lip is allowed to drop into place at the rear of the step. In this final position the flanged wall securely anchors the cover against any vertical or transverse movement and the lateral pinching action of the side wall at the narrower instep portion effectively prevents the same from accidental forward displacement. The depending lip also acts to prevent forward movement of the cover besides providing a cushion-like stop for the front of the heel when a user presses his shoe forwards on the plate.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it Will be manifest that a cover for a foot-plate is provided that will fulfil all the necessary requirements of such a device, but as many changes could be made in the above description and many apparently widely different embodiments of the invention may be constructed within the scope of the appended claim, without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, it is intended that all matters contained in the said accompanying specification and drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a lirnitative or restrictive sense.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A replaceable cover, for a footplate having a sole rest portion that narrows to the rear where it underlies the in- (3 step and a heel rest portion downwardly stepped therefrom, comprising a normally horizontal body member designed to overlie and conforming generally to the outline of the sole rest portion of the footplate, having a depending side wall with an inturned flange about the entire perimeter thereof except across the rear where the footplate is downwardly stepped to the heel rest portion, said inturned flange terminating short of the opposite rear ends of said side wall, and a transversely extending lip across the rear of said body member depending to a level below the bottom of said flanged side wall, and being attached only to the body member of said cover and free from the side wall and spaced from the. ends of the inturned flange, whereby said lip may be swung upwardly to. enable the ready introduction of said cover to the. toe part of the footplate when applying said cover thereto, wherein said body member is of stretchable material and the depth of the flanged depending side wall corresponds substantially with the thickness of the edge of the sole rest portion of the f'ootplate, enabling said body member to be drawn on longitudinally over the footplate from the front toward the heel thereof, the inturned flange. snugly embracing the marginal underside of the footplate and the narrower width of said cover at the instep portion providing a lateral pinching action against the correspondingly narrow portion of the underlying footplate to hold said cover securely in position against accidental upward and forward displacement respectively; said depending lip acting also to prevent forward displacement of said cover and serving as a cushion-like stop to protect the front of the heel of a shoe applied to and pressed forwardly on said footplate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 729,585 Hodes June 2, 1903 1,441,454 Rives Jan. 9, 1923 1,539,159 Cobel May 26, 1925 1,584,659 Schacht May 11, 1926 1,589,431 Saad June 22, 1926 1,595,710 Cocks Aug. 10, 1926 

